Traffic

Road Closures for Fourth of July

By Ethan Rothstein

fireworks-timkelleyThe Arlington County Police Department will close a number of roads for the Fourth of July holiday on Thursday to accommodate the crowds moving throughout the county.

Memorial Bridge and Memorial Circle will be closed all day, from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Below are the other closures to expect.

From 3:00 to 11:00 p.m.:

  • N. Meade Street from Marshall Drive to Route 50 (access to the Ft. Myer Heights neighborhood will be from the Rhodes Street bridge)
  • Marshall Drive from Route 110 to N. Meade Street
  • EB N. Fairfax Drive from N. Pierce Street to N. Fort Myer Drive
  • Exit ramp from westbound Route 50 to N. Lynn Street (Rosslyn exit)
  • Exit ramp from eastbound Route 50 to N. Meade Street (Rosslyn exit)
  • Long Bridge Drive from Boundary Channel Drive to 10th Street S.

From 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

  • EB Route 50 at N. Pershing Drive (detour at N. Barton Street or Washington Blvd)
  • Columbia Pike between S. Orme Street and S. Joyce Street
  • S. Joyce Street from Army Navy Drive to Columbia Pike

“Independence Day event attendees are strongly encouraged to use public transportation,” police said in a press release.

“The Rosslyn Metro stop on the Orange Line is approximately five blocks north of the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the Air Force Memorial is within walking distance of the Pentagon City Metro station,” the release continued. “Arlington County will also be running shuttle buses to Long Bridge Park from the Crystal City and Pentagon City Metro stations.”

Portion of Crystal Drive Opens to Two-Way Traffic

By ARLnow.com

New two-way section of Crystal Drive at 23rd Street New two-way section of Crystal Drive at 23rd Street

The second phase of the Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion project was completed over the weekend.

As of Saturday, Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 26th Street was open to two way traffic. Formerly, the road only allowed one-way northbound traffic.

A county spokeswoman said the conversion is just the beginning of a larger effort to reconfigure Crystal City’s street grid.

“The roadway now includes a northbound sharrow (a marking in the center of a travel lane that indicates bicyclists may use the full lane), a southbound bicycle lane, a north and southbound vehicular lane, up-to-date ADA compliant crosswalks, and upgraded traffic and pedestrian signals,” said Arlington County spokeswoman Laura G. Smith. ” This project marks the beginning of the major street network upgrades in Crystal City that better support the Crystal City Transitway, bicycle network, and general navigability of Crystal City.”

A third phase of the project is expected to establish two-way traffic on Crystal Drive from 26th to 27th Street.

UPDATED: Moped Accident on N. Glebe Road

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:30 a.m.) All lanes of N. Glebe Road were closed in the area of 16th Street, just north of Ballston, due to a moped accident.

Initial reports suggest that the victim crashed his moped after hitting the curb. Medics tended to the victim, who was reported to be unconscious.

No word yet on the victim’s condition. Glebe Road was reopened around 11:20 a.m.

Power Outages in Arlington After Storm

By ARLnow.com
1/4

All storm warnings and watches have been cancelled in Arlington, but more than a thousand Dominion customers are without power.

A line of storms with strong, gusty winds made a mad dash across the county this afternoon, downing some trees and utility lines but not packing quite the punch that many feared.

As of 4:45 p.m., Dominion was reporting 1,327 customers without power in Arlington.

Among other reported road hazards, a utility pole was down on Carlin Springs Road just north of Columbia Pike, blocking the road and detouring bus routes. A number of other trees and lines were reported down in various parts of the county.

New Red Light Cameras Delayed but Coming Soon

By Katie Pyzyk

Old red light camera at Wilson Blvd and N. Lynn StreetDrivers have a little more time before new red light cameras go up at several dangerous intersections around the county.

The seven cameras initially were scheduled to be installed in April. At that time, ARLnow.com inquired about the cameras and learned that there would be a 60 day delay. Now, we’re told the new cameras should be operational by the fall.

“We’ve come across a couple of different hurdles and it’s definitely extending our timelines. The plans the county was supposed to have didn’t come through and a private company had to come in. Some information that was needed was not on the plans provided, so they had to go to survey to get the information,” said Red Light Camera Administrator Officer Caroline Allen with the Arlington County Police Department. “Unfortunately, it’s not as smooth as we hoped it would be to get these cameras out.”

The seven traffic cameras will monitor five intersections shown to have high rates of red light violations. There will be two at Columbia Pike and Glebe Road monitoring eastbound and westbound Columbia Pike, two at Jefferson Davis Highway and S. 23rd Street monitoring northbound and southbound Jefferson Davis Highway, one at Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive monitoring eastbound Columbia Pike, one at Lee Highway and George Mason Drive monitoring westbound Lee Highway and one at Washington Blvd and Glebe Road monitoring northbound Glebe Road.

The first two cameras to be installed — those at Jefferson Davis Highway and S. 23rd — could potentially be in by July if all goes well. The remaining five are estimated to be operational by September.

“We’re still waiting on VDOT approval, then we can go ahead with setting up construction plans,” Officer Allen said.

A study released in January examined the red light cameras installed in Arlington in 2010, and found a decrease in violations at those intersections.

“You can clearly see in the videos that people are running red lights. There are some very close calls,” said Officer Allen. “It’s making an impact just based on the reductions in violations. The number has gone down dramatically.”

Intersections are chosen based on surveys examining the rates of red light violations, the number of accidents, pedestrian safety and the safety of police officers trying to apprehend violators at the intersections.

“It’s defnitely a safety aspect,” said Officer Allen. “Those [intersections] selected are not safe for drivers, not safe for pedestrians, not safe for officers trying to enforce those intersections.”

The standard one month warning period will apply for those caught running red lights at the intersections with the new cameras. After that time, violators will be ticketed.

Once the new cameras are installed, there will be another survey to examine which intersections should potentially receive red light cameras next year.

UPDATED: Route 110 Shut Down Due to High Water

By ARLnow.com
1/5

(Updated at 11:05 p.m.) All lanes of Route 110 have reopened after being closed for more than an hour due to high standing water near the Memorial Bridge underpass.

Four vehicles were reported to be stranded as a result of the high water, which was as deep as two feet. Six people were rescued from their vehicles by firefighters, who managed to drive their fire engine up to the stranded vehicles. All occupants are safe and accounted for.

One of the stranded drivers, Alexandria resident Jessica Cruz, says she and her family were driving down Route 110 toward the Pentagon when they came upon the flooded roadway. She said they tried to get around the flooding, but water ended up getting into the interior of the compact sedan. The water also got into the engine compartment, rendering the car inoperable.

“We went down the so-called shallow part, which wasn’t so shallow once we hit the middle,” she told ARLnow.com. “It didn’t make it any easier with the vehicles behind us pushing water into the car.”

With two-year-old son Jonathan in a car seat and her husband and mother-in-law also in the car, Jessica waited for firefighters to arrive. Once they pulled up, her husband escaped through a window and the rest of the family was able to get out by opening a car door, with firefighter assistance.

“We were just hoping to get out okay,” Jessica said. She said she also saw a young couple being rescued from a stranded pickup truck.

One man in a Jaguar coupe, who didn’t need to be rescued, said the water got up to his doors at one point. The car ended up being towed. A man in a BMW that was initially stranded was able, with some effort, to get his car started and drive away.

Other areas of high water due to tonight’s storms were reported at the intersection of Washington Blvd and N. Fillmore Street, and on Route 50 near Courthouse. Southbound lanes of George Mason Drive were closed at Washington Blvd earlier due to a downed tree.

Overturned Vehicle on I-395

By ARLnow.com

395-flippedPolice and firefighters are on the scene of an overturned vehicle on southbound I-395, just south of the Arlington Ridge Road onramp.

The single-vehicle accident happened on a stretch of the highway that’s extraordinarily accident-prone during rainstorms.

The lone occupant of the flipped vehicle was able to self-extricate and only suffered minor injuries to his hand.

Southbound I-395 traffic is backing up near the Pentagon.

ART Bus Driver Cited for Crash With Ambulance

By ARLnow.com

ART bus crash (photo courtesy Jana McAndrew) ART bus crash (photo courtesy Matt Einstein)

The driver of an Arlington Transit bus has been cited for a crash involving an ambulance this morning.

Damaged ambulance after crash with ART bus (photo courtesy Daniel Fitch)The accident happened near the intersection of Walter Reed Drive and Four Mile Run Drive. The ambulance, Arlington medic unit No. 101, was en route to a call at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall around 7:45 a.m., when the ART bus pulled out in front of it, causing a crash, according to Arlington County Fire Battalion Chief Daniel Fitch.

The ambulance, which had its lights and sirens on, slammed into the bus, causing the bus to roll into a small ditch adjacent to the W&OD bike trail.

One of the firefighters in the ambulance was transported to the hospital for observation, Fitch said. No other injuries were reported.

The driver of the bus, who was the only person on the bus at the time of the crash, was cited for failure to yield.

Photos courtesy Jana McAndrew, Matt Einstein and Daniel Fitch

Impacts of Tropical Storm Andrea Felt in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Rainy Reflections (photo by Katie Pyzyk)Arlington has been feeling the impacts of Tropical Storm Andrea today.

The storm has been dumping rain on the region all day, and even heavier rains and stronger wind gusts are expected during the evening commute.

Tonight’s outdoor showing of “Risky Business” in Rosslyn has been cancelled due to the weather. Meanwhile, the soaking rains and wind might be responsible for knocking down power lines along N. Pershing Drive in the Ashton Heights area. Pershing is currently closed between Lincoln and Monroe Streets while police and firefighters wait for Dominion Power crews to repair the lines.

AAA Mid-Atlantic is warning drivers to be careful on the roads tonight, especially during periods of heavier rain.

“Tropical Storm Andrea passes through the Washington Metro area today and will continue north along the I-95 corridor,” the organization said in a press release. “Motorists will face hazardous driving conditions during the evening commute due to heavy winds, torrential rains, and flooding… The auto club is advising motorists to exercise caution if they must take to the roads during the squally driving conditions.”

AAA issued the following list of wet weather driving tips.

  • Slow down and increase following distances. Speed limits are set for ideal road conditions. When it rains, visibility is reduced and braking distances increase. On dry pavement, a safe following distance permits two to three seconds for stopping; that should be increased to eight seconds on slippery roads. Train your eyes farther down the road than normal, so you can anticipate changes and adjust your course gradually.
  • Do not attempt to drive through standing water. Try to avoid bridges and roads that are known to flood. Cross them only if there is little standing or streaming water. When driving on pothole-filled roads, hold the steering wheel firmly to avoid losing control. Just a few inches of water can turn your vehicle into a boat, and could put your life, and the lives of those around you, at great risk. Turn around; find another way to get to your destination.
  • Watch out for hydroplaning. No car is immune from hydroplaning on wet surfaces, including four-wheel drive vehicles. Just because brakes work under normal conditions doesn’t mean they will react the same on slippery roads where tires roll with far less traction.
  • Alert drivers behind you that you’re slowing with your brake lights. Without anti-lock brakes, squeeze the brakes until they are about to lock up and then release. With anti-lock brakes, use the same move – but don’t pump the brakes, which would work against the operation of the ABS system. Slow down as you approach a pothole. However, do not brake when your vehicle is directly over a pothole.
  • Use the central lanes. When driving during heavy rain, use center lanes of the road (without straddling the yellow line). Avoid outside lanes where the water collects at curbside.
  • Use low-beam headlights to help other drivers see your car and increase visibility. Remember many states legally require drivers to use their headlights during inclement weather. In our neck of the woods Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have wipers on, lights on laws, according to the AAA Digest of Motor Laws.
  • Use your defroster with your air conditioning to keep the air dry and prevent windows from fogging.
  • Do not drive around barricades. Many lives have been lost when drivers disregard official orders and find themselves trapped in rising waters.
  • Turn off the cruise control in wet weather driving. The use of cruise control on wet roads can cause hydroplaning.
  • If conditions worsen to the point where there is any doubt about your safety, take the nearest exit and find a safe location. Don’t just stop on the shoulder or under a bridge where you may feel less anxiety. If your visibility is compromised, other drivers may be struggling too.
  • Fumes and oil leaks that build up on dry pavement rise to the surface of the road when it rains, making the road far slicker than it may seem.

Arlington is currently under a Flash Flood Watch.

File photo

Confusing Intersection to Get New Marking

By Katie Pyzyk

N. Veitch Street between Clarendon Blvd and Wilson Blvd (photo via Google Maps)A Courthouse intersection where head-on collisions are sometimes narrowly avoided is getting a new marking to help guide drivers.

ARLnow.com contacted the Department of Environmental Services regarding the section of N. Veitch Street between Clarendon Blvd and Wilson Blvd.

The street does not have a yellow divider line and on numerous occasions, it has created confusion over which lanes belong to southbound drivers and which belong to northbound drivers. Some drivers even believe it may be a one way street.

According to DES spokeswoman Jennifer Heilman, the lane that is closest to the bike lane and bordered by the solid white line is for southbound drivers heading straight. The one directly next to it is for northbound vehicles turning west onto Wilson, and the final lane is for northbound traffic traveling straight.

Now that the county is aware of the confusion, we’re told a white arrow will be painted on the street in the lone southbound lane to reinforce the direction of travel. The intersection will remain without a yellow line because that could actually cause even more confusion for drivers based on where it would be placed, Heilman said.

“The reason there is no yellow line is because first of all, it technically would not be in the middle of the intersection,” said Heilman. “If you put in a yellow line, drivers would be crossing over the line into the middle of the turn lane.”

Heilman admitted that this is indeed a tricky area for drivers to navigate.

“It’s a very oddly shaped intersection, is what it comes down to,”  she said.

Because the need for the new painted arrow was just discovered today, a formal request still has to be made and there is no set time for when drivers should expect to see it added.

Photo via Google Maps

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